My car radio, which was purchased in 1998, finally gave up the ghost. Lakes Audio was able to find me a simple (used) radio without all the bells and whistles that confuse an older person like me. The cost was very reasonable, and they were a pleasure to deal with. read more

Recently had an opportunity to experience a "full detail" for my vehicle at Lakes Audio. I was overly enthusiastic for the appointment because, let's be honest- we were in need of a good cleaning. Putting the cleaning in perspective Lakes Audio did accomplish some serious cleaning. The raw corn was no longer scattered about the trunk, no strange smells lingered, and I left with a whopping $2.63 in spare change that I thought had been lost forever. I was also provided a lovely cardboard box for loose items and a brand spanking new paper floor mat at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. Talk about a score! Once the joy of my newfound loose chance wealth and free paper products wore off I will say I found myself a bit surprised at a few of the results of the detail. Color me crazy, but I thought a standard wash would be included in a car appointment (in the several details i've had done prior with other companies I've always had the luxury of leaving the lot without the hand drawn "wash me" smearing remaining on the back hatch of the car). No big deal, just a surprise. I did call after the appointment in to clarify what a full detail included (hindsight-- if you want a wash that needs to be clarified as it is an additional service :( ). Anyway-- I am DYING to know what kind of wizard carpet cleaner these people are using. My shampooed carpets were 110% dry upon pickup, and the leaves I piked off the rear carpets had even managed not only to dry, but to retain their original shape and dry flaky quality. It allowed me the opportunity to break out the trusty old shopvac, which in turn led to the discovery of sand under all 4 floor mats. They must have treated the old rig to a cleaning on a beach- lucky car!!!!! I also got the unexpected joy of an afternoon arm workout as I wiped down the sticky spots and mud that remained on the center dash and rear doors. I'm wondering if it was hard to see these spots given that I still believe the vehicle must have been cleaned on or near the beach (hello sand piles) and perhaps the sun was blinding? Unfortunately the paper floor mat met its devise shortly after the appointment (does not appear to be a 4 season mat), and the $2.63 in found change didn't even cover a carwash at the local gas station. In hindsight-- the loose change would have paid for a good session at the local gas station vacuum, and a $7 car wash would have done 100% more to remove the untouched exterior dirt. If my math serves me correctly, that leaves me paying $200 for a wipe down that could have been done at home. A $10 investment in Clorox wipes might have been the route to go, but hey- at lease the good old car got a nice day at the beach. read more

I have had the pleasure of doing business with Dan and Stephanie at Lakes Audio several times in the past. Our family has purchased an auto-start, two car receivers (one with full speaker upgrades) and a boat receiver. They always do a great job & we've never had to make a trip back for any problems. We highly recommend Lakes Audio. read more

My wife's remote fob stopped working after 11 months. We stopped in, they replaced it and had us out the door in about 10 minutes, no charge. We really appreciated the fast, friendly and free service! read more

I had a complete custom install done a while back. They removed my back seat and placed a subwoofer instead. They then built a gorgeous amp rack to dress the install up. The cut my 4" stock speakers in the rear into 6.5" then another 1" in the door for the tweeters. When finished the car looked like it was from the factory. The other car audio shop around Brainerd/Baxter that claims to be one of the best custom installers yet turned me away because they said the build I wanted was "impossible to make, even if we did find a way to build it this would cost." Bottom line Lakes Audio is a bunch of nice hard working individuals who can probably do whatever type of audio or fabrication job you have in mind. They also won't break the bank, we there read more

The first time I had something installed here the owners were fighting and yelling at each other and slamming doors while customers were in the showroom. Have also had two very unpleasant experiences here in the course of two years. I had a sub and amp installed in my truck, I picked it up with a few trim screws missing, a hole in my headliner as well as getting a remote start installed just a few months back and it was a disaster, they messed up the security system to the point of needing to be reprogrammed and it was a rats nest of wires under the dash along with a few cross threaded nuts and broken pieces on the beauty cap of the engine. Was told in both scenarios that the stuff was already damaged or broke previous to the install's which was not the case, but of course they were right and I was wrong. Have started going to sound connection instead where they are professional and friendly. read more